Britain's 2012 Olympics minister dies of brain cancer

Tessa Jowell, the minister who played a key role in securing and delivering the 2012 London Olympics, has died after battling brain cancer, her family said Sunday. Jowell played a major part in landing the Games as Britain's culture secretary. She then became the UK's dedicated Olympics minister charged with bringing the world's biggest sporting extravaganza to fruition. Jowell, 70, was diagnosed with a brain tumour in May last year, suffered a haemorrhage on Friday, and had been in a coma until her death on Saturday, a family spokesman said. She moved fellow parliamentarians to tears -- and a rarely-seen standing ovation -- in January when, visibly ill, she returned to her seat in the House of Lords to call for cancer patients to have better access to experimental treatment. Former prime minister Tony Blair said she was "the most wise of counsellors, the most loyal and supportive of colleagues, and the best of friends".